Hong Kong's richest woman faces forgery charges

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Nina Kung Yu-sum, Hong Kong's richest woman, appeared in court
yesterday on charges of forging her late husband's will in a
drawn-out battle for his multimillion dollar fortune, but the case
was adjourned until next month.

Kung, the 67-year-old chairwoman of Chinachem Group, was
arrested after a court ruled in 2002 that she probably forged the
will of her husband Teddy Wang.

He disappeared after he was kidnapped in 1990 and was declared
dead nine years later.

But Kung pressed on with her fight and was granted permission to
take the case to Hong Kong's top court. No hearing date has been
fixed for Kung, also known by her husband's surname.

Separately, Kung appeared in the Eastern Magistrates' Court
yesterday to face charges of forgery and perverting the course of
justice. The magistrate adjourned the case to April 22 to decide
whether it will be transferred to a higher court.

Kung did not have to enter a plea and the court renewed her bail
of $HK55 million.

During the trial of the probate case, Wang Din-shin accused Kung
of adultery by showing pictures of her with an alleged lover.

Kung never publicly responded to the accusation, but her version
of the will ended with the handwritten phrase, "one life, one
love".

Kung built her husband's company into a major property developer
following his disappearance. Forbes magazine last year estimated
her worth at $US2.3 billion.